PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei has given his heartfelt support to former mentor Datuk Misbun Sidek, saying he is proud of the veteran coach’s decision to take his expertise to India at the age of 65.
The three-time Olympic silver medallist described their player-coach relationship as a special one, forged over decades on the badminton court.
"I’m surprised that Misbun has decided to coach abroad. He has been devoted to the sport here for almost his entire life," said the 43-year-old Chong Wei.
"Whoever hired him must have truly won his heart because it wouldn’t have been easy to make him leave Malaysia. Misbun must have been looking for a change.”
Chong Wei credited Misbun for shaping him both as a player and as a person.
"He was like a father to me. I learnt so much from him on and off the badminton court. I respect his decision and wish him only the best.”
Now the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) performance committee chairman, Chong Wei believes Misbun will make a strong impact in India.
"Misbun has the knack to inspire young players and motivate seniors, and I believe he will do the same there.
"They will surely benefit from him because he never holds back when it comes to giving his best."
Asked whether he himself would consider coaching overseas, Chong Wei said Malaysia remains closest to his heart.
"My heart is here. I had many offers after I retired in 2019. If I wanted to, I would have left much earlier.
"I’m happy to see many locals getting opportunities to coach abroad, which is good for Malaysian badminton."
Misbun is scheduled to depart for India on Jan 31. While he has yet to reveal which club he will be joining, it is expected to be among the country’s top professional academies.
Currently, India’s two leading setups are the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru and the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad.
Prakash’s academy boasts rising stars such as US Open champion Ayush Shetty and Australian Open winner Lakshya Sen, while Gopichand’s stable includes established internationals H.S. Prannoy and K. Srikanth.
